Farewell My Friend
by Caz Malfoy
Summary: Crossover with CSI:NY Iterlude in 'Welcome to my life'. Danny wakes up after Mikes death to find Tim missing.


_Disclaimer: I don't own Csi:Miami or NY._

_Authors note: A short interlude set during my fic 'Welcome to my life'. Danny wakes up after Mikes death and finds Tim gone._

_Any italics are Italian._

Farewell My Friend

Danny groaned and stretched sleepily. He rolled over in the bed, wincing slightly at the pain he felt from the previous night's activities. "Hey," he whispered, reaching out to wrap his arm around Tim. A frown spread across his face as he opened his eyes when he felt the cold sheets of the bed next to him.

He sat up, calling out Tim's name as he put his glasses on. Only silence answered him and he tossed back the covers. Danny threw on his boxers and a pair of sweat pants before padding out of the bedroom.

He checked the bathroom and all the bedrooms on the second level of the house. Tim wasn't in any of them.

He could smell pancakes cooking in the kitchen so he assumed that Tim was already helping with breakfast. He frowned when he pushed the door open and saw that the kitchen was empty except for his mom who was standing in front of the stove.

Antonieta heard the door open and turned to see her son standing in the doorway. "_Morning_," she greeted, smiling over at Danny. "_How's Tim holding up?"_ she questioned sadly.

"Y_ou haven't seen him this morning?_" Danny asked, dread settling in his stomach.

Antonieta shook her head frowning. "_I assumed he was still in bed with you,_" she replied.

"_He was gone by the time I woke up,_" Danny told her, heading into the sitting room and looking out of the window. "_His bike's gone,_" he said, seeing the driveway empty except for Antonieta's car. "_Will you drive me to college after I get dressed?_" he asked, turning to face his mom who had followed him.

"_Of course,_" Antonieta nodded.

x

Tim's bike wasn't in the space that it usually was when they arrived back on campus. Nervously, Danny pushed the door to their dorm room open and entered the room.

The first thing he noticed was a box of photo's sticking out from underneath the bed. He crossed the room and crouched down as he pulled the box out completely, seeing that a couple of photo albums were missing from the box.

"Danny," he heard Antonieta say from behind him

Danny turned around to face her and he took in a deep shuddering breath when he saw that the closet was open and Tim's clothes were missing. "No," he whispered, leaning back against the bed with his head in his hand. "_He can't have left,_" he whispered.

Antonieta sighed sadly and sat next to her son, pulling him into her arms. "Shh," she cooed when she realised that Danny was crying. "_I'm sure there's a very good reason as to why he left,_" she whispered, trying to reassure Danny.

Danny lifted his head and took his glasses off, running his hands over his eyes, before he buried his face in Antonieta's shoulder. "_Why would he even do that?_" he asked, clutching at the front of her coat. "_I can't deal with this right now,_" he sniffled.

Antonieta ran her hands up and down Danny's back. "_Tim's head's probably in a bad place right about now,_" she whispered. "_Think about it, he's just lost his best friend. I bet he's worried that he's going to lose you as well._"

"_But why would he leave?_" Danny demanded as if his mother knew what was going through Tim's mind.

Antonieta smiled sadly. "_I don't know, sweetie,_" she whispered, placing a kiss on Danny's forehead. "_You can ask him when he comes back,_" she added.

"_How do you know that he will?_" Danny asked.

"_Because he loves you, Danny,_" Antonieta smiled. "H_e loves you too much to stay away from you forever. Tim just needs to get his head sorted out first, _" she told him. "_You're going to throw some things together and come back home until after the funeral. School's the last thing you need right now,_" she added, pulling Danny to his feet and making him sit down on the bed while she gathered some clothes for him.

x

"Excuse me, Mr Messer?" the police officer asked Danny. Danny nodded his head nervously. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, sir," the officer continued, "but earlier today we discovered the body of Timothy Speedle a few miles outside of town."

Danny sat bolt upright, wildly looking around and taking in his surroundings. He was in his bedroom back home and there were no police telling him that they had found Tim's dead body. He wiped his hand across his cheeks, wiping away the tears that had fallen while he slept, before lying back down and screwing his blue eyes closed. His eyes had only been closed for a second when he opened them again, not able to stand the sight of the headstone bearing Tim's name that his mind had conjured.

He got up, grabbed his glasses and headed down the corridor. He paused in front of his mom's door, unsure about disturbing her. He decided that she wouldn't care and lightly knocked on the door. "Ma?" he whispered, opening the door a crack.

Antonieta turned over to face the door. "Danny?" she whispered. "_Are you okay?"_ she asked in concern, sitting up and turning the bedside light on.

Danny shook his head, "_I dreamt that the police found Tim's dead body_," he admitted, tears falling as he thought the disturbing dream.

Antonieta frowned in sympathy and moved over in the bed, patting the space next to her. "_Come here,_" she instructed softly.

Danny crossed the room and climbed into bed next to her, setting his glasses on the bedside table and falling into her embrace. "_I'm scared_," he whispered, burying his face in her shoulder.

Antonieta placed a soft kiss on the top of her son's head. "_I know, baby_," she whispered. "_I know_," she repeated as Danny fell into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

x

Danny looked in the mirror in front of him. It was three days after the doctors had lost Mike during surgery and the day of Mike's funeral. It was also three days after Tim had ran away, leaving Danny alone to deal with what was happening.

Danny sighed and lifted his hands to straighten his tie. He had been asked to give a eulogy at Mike's funeral, at first he had turned it down but Mike's mom and dad practically begged him, knowing that he was almost as close to Mike as Tim had been, so Danny had eventually given in and agreed.

He reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out the piece of paper that he had scrawled the few words he was going to say on. Danny had read it so many times that it was almost starting to fall apart. He had it memorized but he was terrified that he was going to forget it and mess everything up.

"Danny," Antonieta said from the door of her sons room. _"Are you ready to go?" _she asked.

Danny took one last look in the mirror before sighing and shaking his head. "No," he whispered, tears splashing down his cheeks. _"I don't want to do this, mom," _he sobbed.

Antonieta crossed the room and pulled Danny into her arms. _"I know you don't" _she said softly in the blond's ear. _"But you owe it to Mike to send him off properly."_

Danny lifted his hand, wiping his hand over his cheeks as he nodded his head. _"Okay_," he whispered. "Let's get this over with."

Antonieta smiled sadly and looped her arm through her sons as they headed down stairs and out to the car that was waiting to take them to the cemetery.

x

Danny watched as they slowly lowered Mike's casket into the ground. Danny had managed to deliver his speech to Mike's friends and family. His hands had been shaking throughout the entire thing and he was pretty sure that none of his words made sense but before they went from the church to the cemetery, Mike's mom had pulled aside and thanked him for giving such a beautiful eulogy.

As the guests departed from the cemetery, heading for the wake, Danny turned and his breath caught in his throat. He could have sworn that Tim was standing about thirty feet away with his back to them.

Danny was almost ready to run over when he turned around and Danny saw that it wasn't Tim after all, just a random mourner that Danny had never seen before.

He shook his head, telling himself that Tim was long gone - even though it hurt to even think it - as he wrapped his arm around Antonieta as they headed for the car.

x

The End


End file.
